


i can count the ways on my two hands

by ohvictor



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: 'our roommates are dating and we barely know each other' au probably, Alternate Universe - College/University, Nonbinary Character, Other, Roommates, Trans Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-09
Updated: 2015-06-09
Packaged: 2018-04-03 13:53:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4103320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohvictor/pseuds/ohvictor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There’s a pause, during which Kenma tries, evidently surreptitiously, to catch their breath, and Akaashi registers with some surprise that it’s the most he’s ever heard them speak aloud.</p><p>“This is ridiculous,” says Akaashi finally.</p><p>(or, Bokuto and Kuroo sexile an uncomfortable Kenma and a weary Akaashi, and Akaashi does something about it.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	i can count the ways on my two hands

**Author's Note:**

> apparently i am breaking out of my usual high school setting and pushing bokukuro and friends into college now? cool. this thing being akaashi-centric is thanks to [bishop](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kastron). bokuto shifting gender-wise is thanks to [kep](https://archiveofourown.org/users/keptein). title is from we could be friends by freelance whales. 
> 
> as always in my stuff, kuroo is nonbinary with ze/zir pronouns and kenma is nonbinary with they/them pronouns; bokuto and akaashi both use he/him but neither are cis. it isn't said explicitly but akaashi is ace (and a little sex-repulsed here), and kenma is also ace. i wrote this with the headcanon that kenma is selectively mute; i hope it works out correctly. additionally, please excuse the inconsistent levels of formality between akaashi's internal narration versus dialogue. i usually prefer using characters' most common names in fic, but it meshes weirdly with akaashi's politeness.

The second the door closes, Akaashi feels like smacking himself. His keys are sitting on his desk, and of course it’s Akaashi who’s always the one bugging Bokuto to keep the doorknob in auto-lock mode, so _of course_ it’s his own damn fault he’s locked out. All Akaashi had wanted was to slip out to refill his water bottle before starting his homework, and now he’s locked out, and everything else is inside his room, which he is now unable to get into. All he has is his water bottle, the culprit in all of this.

His keys are mere feet away from him and he cannot get them. He stares at the door, fighting the urge to kick it to vent his frustration.

In theory, his roommate should be just a text away. In reality, his phone is _also_ on his desk, next to his keys, damnit, and...well. He could go downstairs to the room where Bokuto probably is, but if Bokuto is in there, chances are he’s otherwise occupied.

Akaashi makes his way downstairs anyway, bitter resignation settling in the pit of his stomach. The idea of interrupting whatever Bokuto and Kuroo might be doing is not a pleasant one, but neither is waiting around upstairs without exhausting all of his options first. Bokuto could be gone until late; with his datefriend in the same building, there’s no reason to leave early to hike across campus, and besides, they might not be doing anything. They could just be hanging around talking. Maybe they could even be doing homework. Well, probably not homework, but Akaashi can dream.

At the sight of Kenma sitting against the wall outside their and Kuroo’s room, though, Akaashi’s heart sinks. Kenma’s idly playing their PSP, earbuds plugged in, and Akaashi knows this behavior, would probably be able to guess even if he didn’t. Usually when Akaashi is ‘sexiled’ he takes his homework to the library and works there, but for some reason Kenma never goes far, preferring to curl up outside the room or in one of the common room chairs with a video game and wait to be let back in.

Akaashi doesn’t know Kenma all that well. They’re in the same year, but they’re in different majors, and neither of them exactly talks to people they don’t absolutely have to. All Akaashi knows is Kenma is his roommate’s datefriend’s roommate and best friend, meaning all they have in common is age, a few acquaintances, and a lot of time spent being...sexiled.

Well, Akaashi has nothing better to do.

“Hi,” he says, stopping an awkward several feet down the hall from where Kenma is sitting.

Kenma doesn’t respond. Akaashi remembers belatedly that they have earbuds in, and takes a few steps closer, not wanting to startle them. There’s still no response, though, so Akaashi finally moves to stand directly in front of Kenma, where his legs are visible above their PSP. Kenma’s head shoots up, and they fix Akaashi with a deer-in-headlights stare that makes Akaashi feel intensely guilty for bothering them.

Kenma takes one earbud out and looks warily up at Akaashi. Akaashi tries not to take it personally.

“Hi,” he says again. “Um, is Bokuto-san in there?”

A nod.

“I suppose he won’t be out anytime soon?”

Kenma lifts one shoulder in a small shrug.

“I’d text him, but my phone’s in my room. I locked myself out.” Akaashi fidgets under Kenma’s gaze for a moment, and then Kenma nods and lowers their game.

“You’re out of luck... It’ll be a while, probably.”

Akaashi experiences a confusing pair of sensations as something warm flutters in his chest at Kenma finally speaking aloud, and resignation dropping into the pit of his stomach at what Kenma actually said. Choosing to act on the latter feeling, he grumbles and kicks at the floor. “Damn.”

Silence falls between them again; Kenma’s gaze drops back to their game, although they keep one earbud out. Akaashi isn’t sure if that’s an invitation or a precaution so Kenma won’t be caught off guard again if Akaashi talks to them again. Truth be told, Akaashi isn’t sure what he wants to do. There isn’t much _to_ do, actually. All either of them can do is wait for their roommates to finish up so they can all resume their previous activities.

Anger wells up in Akaashi’s chest, making his breath catch. It’s unfair. It’s Akaashi’s own fault that he’s in this situation, but it’s unfair that Kenma had to be kicked out when they clearly don’t want to be anywhere but their room. Kuroo and Bokuto should have gone up to Bokuto’s room; Akaashi doesn’t mind leaving. And anyway, it’s evening. They should all be doing homework, not...things Akaashi doesn’t want to think about his roommate doing.

“Um,” says Akaashi eloquently, a moment later. “Do you want to get food or something?”

Kenma’s gaze snaps upward, chin still tucked into the drawstrings of their hoodie. They stare at Akaashi for a moment. “It’s eight.”

“Just from the snack bar. I can pay.” Akaashi pats the back pocket of his jeans, making sure his wallet is in there. Of all the essentials to have retained in this room disaster.

Kenma is worrying their lip between their teeth. “I’m not really hungry... And I don’t feel like walking.”

Akaashi nods. “Okay.”

“Thanks, though.”

“Sure.”

Silence stretches between them again. Akaashi feels himself starting to sweat. He’s sure Kenma doesn’t mean to be awkward, is fairly certain from the snippets he’s picked up from Bokuto and the few times he’s spoken to Kenma before that Kenma is probably worrying over their conversation right now anyway, but it’s still difficult. Unfortunately, Akaashi literally has nothing better to do, and he’s worried if he leaves the hall Bokuto might leave and go somewhere else and Akaashi won’t be able to find him. He _needs_ to start his homework. The reading for his first class will take at least two hours.

On impulse, he plops down against the wall a few feet from Kenma. It takes a second for Akaashi to notice that Kenma has frozen in place, until Kenma slowly starts to relax, eyes flicking cautiously over Akaashi.

“Am I-- Am I making you uncomfortable?”

“No!” Kenma shakes their head. “Well, um, a little bit. But it’s not you specifically. I-It’s...” They stammer a bit, and trail off.

Akaashi keeps his expression neutral, waiting.

“It’s b-been a long day... I’m sort of out of energy for talking to people. Kuro can usually tell, um, when I’m...not feeling social...so usually ze would have asked to use your room instead. But I only just got back from a group project meeting, and they were...already busy. So I got my game and came out here.”

There’s a pause, during which Kenma tries, evidently surreptitiously, to catch their breath, and Akaashi registers with some surprise that that’s the most he’s ever heard them speak aloud.

“This is ridiculous,” says Akaashi finally.

He’s not sure if he means the current situation or what he’s about to do. But the combination of Kenma’s posture, curling into themself like they’re being scrutinized from every angle, and the anxiety squirming at Akaashi’s gut as time ticks by with no homework getting done, makes him brave. He stands up and knocks (politely, to his credit) on Kuroo’s door.

Kenma is staring at him, and there are muffled voices from inside the room (Akaashi tries very hard not to listen until he’s sure it’s _just_ voices), and then Bokuto yells, “Who is it?”

Akaashi steels himself. Bokuto and Kuroo are their friends. This isn’t too out of line. He can just close his eyes if they come outside. Everything will be fine.

“I’m locked out of our room,” he says finally, going for the easiest explanation.

There’s a long pause, some footsteps, and then Bokuto opens the door. Akaashi instinctively flinches away, shutting his eyes, but Bokuto says, “Hey, it’s okay, nothin’ to see,” so Akaashi looks. Bokuto is a little flushed, but he has all his clothes on, which somehow makes Akaashi angrier. Were they even doing anything?

“I’m locked out,” he repeats. “I need your key. Also,” he presses on, as Bokuto digs in his pocket, “I don’t think Kozume-kun wants to be out here. If you two could move up to our room, I think that would work better for everybody.”

“Whoa,” says Kuroo’s voice from inside. Bokuto produces his key and hands it to Akaashi, and makes to close the door, but Kuroo pops up behind him and holds it open. Ze looks even more composed than Bokuto, but past experience tells Akaashi that this means little. “Is Kenma there? Are they okay?”

“They’re just sitting down the hall.” Akaashi doesn’t dare look towards Kenma, not wanting to see their expression. “I don’t really know what’s going on, but they don’t look very comfortable.”

Kuroo is already squeezing past Bokuto out of the room, and ze pads down the hall to squat next to Kenma. The pair exchange what looks like too few words to actually make up a conversation, but Akaashi has seen them communicate before, with the ease of people who don’t need words anymore. After a moment, Kuroo sighs and stands up.

“You didn’t have to do that, Akaashi, but I appreciate your martyrdom nonetheless.” Ze’s grinning, clearly teasing, and something squirms in Akaashi’s gut again. He stares down at Bokuto’s key, clutched in one hand. “I know.”

Bokuto shifts to one side of the doorway to let Kuroo back into zir room. After a moment Kenma gets up and follows, not looking at Akaashi as they pass him. Akaashi tries not to watch as Kuroo digs in zir dresser and retrieves what are presumably sex-related objects. Ze steps back through the doorway after a few moments, now also holding a few books (maybe they will do homework after all), and gestures for Bokuto to lead the way upstairs.

They go up to Bokuto and Akaashi’s room, and Akaashi finally gets his books, doublechecking that he has his keys and phone and anything else he can think of. Bokuto and Kuroo settle onto Bokuto’s bed and mercifully don’t start anything while Akaashi is there. They do, however, stare at him as he moves around his desk making sure he’s not forgetting anything, so he checks one last time and then bows out of the room, shutting the door quickly behind himself.

Halfway to the stairs, his phone buzzes in his pocket.

_From: Kuroo Tetsurou_

_hey i don’t know if you’ve already got a study buddy or whatever but if you wanna go down to my room and study with kenma it’s probably fine_

Akaashi stares at the message in disbelief for a moment. He has a lot of questions, about Kenma’s feelings towards him at the moment and how Kuroo knows with such certainty what Kenma wants and why Kuroo had teased him for standing up for Kenma’s comfort and where that part of him had even come from, anyway, and Akaashi wants to just run from the whole situation and hit the books. He’s been prevented from doing his homework by things related to Kuroo Tetsurou enough tonight.

But the part of him that still hangs out with Bokuto and Kuroo even though his grades continue to protest makes him pause, reread the message, and then stuff his phone back into his pocket, changing course for the downstairs staircase. If nothing else, Kenma’s room is much closer than the library, and anyway, this whole situation would be more pleasant for everyone if Akaashi and Kenma could be friends, too.

 

 


End file.
